Electric thermal generator



1964 L. A. DURANT 3, ,77

ELECTRIC THERMAL. GENERATOR Filed July 3, 1961 Ilium, 7

FIG.1

INVENTOR. LYNDON A. DURANT United States Patent 3,162,773 ELECTRHC THERliiAL GENERATQR Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago, ill assignor to United Music Corporation, Chicago, 11., a corporation of lliinois Filed July 3, 1961, fier. No. 121,753 ll Claim. (Ci. 37 tl-4) This invention relates in general to thermal electric generators and more particularly to an improved embodiment of the generator described in US. Patent Number 2,881,384.

The er'iiciency of the generator element described in the above patent is greatly improved by the construction of the thermal elements hereinafter described.

It has been discovered that the control element is adversely affected in operation because of the space charge of the electron field emitted by the emissive element.

The above objection is overcome to a great degree by providing control element and a collector element of shape and position wherein the control element exerts a high degree of control over the electron stream supplied by the emissive element and is the principal object of the invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cup shaped emissive element and a cylindrical shaped control element coaxially positioned therein with the control element of torus shape positioned in a toru channel in one side of the collector element.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a thermal generator of the combination of an emissive, collector and control elements presenting large surface areas in proximity with each other in accurate spaced relation.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a thermal generator of an emissive, collector and control elements in close surface proximity with each other and adapted and constructed to maintain their predetermined relationship in the presence of intense heat.

These and other objects of the invention are described and shown in the following specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a planview of the thermal generator.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevation taken through section line 22- 2, FIG. 1.

Referring to the figures, a cylindrical body member 1 is adapted to be supported by brackets 22. .An emissive element 3 is formed in cup shape and made of metal alloy capable of emitting electrons therefrom when heated. The body 1 and the emissive element 3 are secured together by tongue and groove means 4 and hermetically sealed together by pressure forming and welding which forms an internal cavity. A cylindrical control element 5 having a coaxial torus shaped channel in one end is hermetically sealed into body 1 and insulated therefrom, as shown, by insulating material 6, such as fused alumina or other fusible refractory ceramic. A hole coaxially positioned through the element is provided for evacuation of the cavity.

A terminal post 8 fixed to element 5 by screw means is also hermetically sealed by material 6 and provides the control terminal for the generator.

The body 1 contains a coaxial hole coincident with the hole in element 5 therethrough in which a hollow stem 7 is welded for connection to an evacuation means.

3,lh2,778 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 A collector element 9 in the shape of a torus ring is fixed to and positioned by post it) Within the channel in element '5 and positioned in uniform spaced relation to the inner surfaces thereof and with the outer planar surface thereof in uniform close proximity to the inner planar surface of the emitter element 3, as shown. The post 1% is insulated from body 1 and hermetically sealed therein by material 6 and serves as the output thermal of the generator.

In operation, a burner ll illustrates a source of heat supplied to the outer surface of the emitter element 3. When the terminals 8, 1t) and 12 are connected in an appropriate circuit such as illustrated in Patent Number 2,881,384, a thermal electric current Will flow therein subject to the control of the element 5 and the circuit constants.

It is to be noted that when the control element is positively biased with respect to the emitter 3, any adverse space charge within the generator is reduced to a negligible minimum due to the capacitive coupling of the elements, thus permitting electric pulses of large magnitude to be present between the emitter and the collector when the device is evacuated and excited by changing bias potentials applied to the control element 5.

Certain modifications in the above construction utilizing the features described are intended to come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A thermal electric generator comprising a cup shaped emissive element, a cup shaped body member hermetically sealed by an open end edge thereof to an open end edge of said emissive element, said cups forming a cylindrical internal cavity, a refractory ceramic sealing means, a cylindrical control element having an open torus channel in the lower end thereof positioned and insulated and hermetically sealed in said body by said ceramic means in equi-spaced relation to said emissive element, a terminal means fixed to said control element and projecting through the body member and hermetically sealed in and insulated from said body member by said ceramic means, a second terminal means, a torus ring collector element positioned in uniform coaxial spaced relation in said channel by said second terminal means with the latter projecting through said control element and said body member and hermetically sealed to and insulated therefrom by said ceramic means with the lower planar surface thereof in close proximity with the inner planar surface of said emissive element, a passageway extending through said control element and said body terminating in a conduit hermetically sealed in said body for evacuating said cavity.

References {listed by the Examiner UNIT ED STATES PATENTS 2,881,384 4/59 Durant 310-4 X 2,899,590 8/59 Sorg 3104 3,041,493 6/62 Feinstein et al. 313--246 V FOREIGN PATENTS 1,242,179 8/ 60 France.

MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner.

ORIS L. RADER, Examiner. 

